Monday, January 30, 2012
And Here's Another Protest Against Kroger
Posted by Susan Ellis on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 4:07 PM
So, earlier today I get a call from a well-known Midtown character (which, I know, narrows it down to about a zillion). He was telling me about his "guerrilla strike" against the Kroger on Union.
The sign reads "Come back, Mr. Seessel."
And the goal?
"I don't know what the goal is," he says.
BTW, Shallow Throat (his chosen nom de protest) says his beef is with the Union Kroger alone. He feels the store is now too rigidly corporate for his tastes.
If the sign is removed, he plans to put another up.
He now shops at Cash Saver Cost Plus Food Outlet.
Comments (24)
Showing 1-24 of 24
Because, of course, Cash Saver Plus is so reminiscent of the Union Seessel's. Oy.
Look, I agree that Midtown needs a newer, bigger, more upscale version of the Kosher Kroger on Mendenhall, but Kroger is the only one that will make that happen.
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"Mr. Seesel" isn't the solution: he was the problem. If he hadn't decided to take the money and run, or to hold on to the properties adjoining the Union Avenue store to prevent them from being used for expansion or additional parking, we might still have a decent store in that location, instead of the abomination we've been afflicted with.
Our only hope now is that the West Precinct property is bought by a grocery company that understands what Midtowners want, 'cause Kroger certainly doesn't, and probably never will.
I miss Schnucks so much! I can't stand Kroger. I live in Cooper-Young, and go to the Union store. I wish we had another alternative in midtown! It's a shame Kroger has such a monopoly in Memphis. I don't go to the Poplar Plaza, or, god forbid, Cleveland stores. They are NASTY! As for the Union store, the meat (as with all Krogers) is sub standard and a lot of items Schnucks had are a thing of the past. I'm not going to drive all the way to Germantown or West Memphis to shop at a Walmart Super Store..... heck.. they're not much better than Kroger anyway. Fresh Market is too expensive. Memphis' grocery store choices are simply crappy.
Hey, you want 93/7 ground turkey at Kroger? Then you will buy the Kroger brand, because they carry no other. You want Weight Watchers yogurt? Not gonna happen. I am stunned and pissed I have to buy what these clowns dictate. I see former Schnucks empoyees at these Kroger stores, and they look like they've had the shit kicked out of them just before the Stepford men's club stole their brains.
I agree and miss Schnucks a lot. At least they havent gone to those suck-ass self-check things like all the rest of Krogerworld has done after 8 pm. Billious
I HATE the Union Ave. Kroger! I don"t appreciate being taken advantage of just because they think we have no choice. For everyday stuff I now go to Super Saver and for specialty items I go to Whole Foods or Fresh Market because the specialty items Kroger carries are TWICE the price. I refuse to be forced to buy nothing but Kroger brand. If they do happen to have something I want today, they won't have it tomorrow. Bye, bye Kroger!
We no longer have any competition in the grocery business so now we have take it or leave it Kroger items and prices. I want a grocery store period. One with many selections and items I use instead of what is on their shelves. Half of their store has been converted to a dry goods store. Duh who is stupid enough to pay kroger prices for pots and pans? If I have to leave kroger and to go Wal-Mart to get groceries kroger does not carry I will do ALL my shopping at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart matches kroger's prices but guess what there is no reason for kroger to do anything but raise their prices since they do not have any competition and don't carry the same brands as Wal-Mart for a lot of the items. I use Hunts tomato sauce with roasted garlic. It is no longer on the shelves in fact the only small cans of Hunts tomato sauce is the plain sauce. I do not like their Value items and it looks like they are now forcing more and more of their Value line and less and less of name brands. The products are not equal to each other. I feel the Value is the culled out stuff.
We need another major grocery company who only sells groceries and offers a large selection.
Disagree with a lot of the anti-Kroger Foot-Stamper Brigade's complaints on Krogering, but they got a couple of things right--the Union and Cleveland stores are, indeed, "NASTY!" and the butcher department at every Kroger I've been to (we live near the aforementioned Kosher Kroger) is also "NASTY!"
The Kroger on Lamar west of Airways and the Kroger on Union are redundant.
If you want a plastic gallon jug of blue drank, Kroger on Union will hook you up. Don't forget you EBT card!
One thing you'll never here while waiting to check out on the Kroger on Mendenhall at Poplar:
"You got yo voucher?! You got yo voucher??!!"
Speaking of those overpriced Kroger pots and pans, a few weeks ago I bought a Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven. It was $70 at Target, and JC Penney has one just like it, except it isn't Lodge, it's some knock-off brand, also for $70. Kroger carries the Lodge dutch oven, but they're asking $39.99 for it!!!!!!!! Talk about overpriced.
What really grinds my gears is when I buy a can of Hunt's tomato sauce and get home and notice that it's garlic flavored, or basil and oregano, or some other combo, when all I wanted was the plain because I prefer to control the flavors myself. Because at all the Krogers where I shop, most of the shelf space is taken up with those flavored tomato sauces. Who buys those things, anyway? Nobody!!!!!!!!
There's just a total lack of competition in the grocery store business. I mean, if I'm not going to shop at Kroger, Wal-Mart Super Center, Target Super Store, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, Costco, Sam's, Super Lo, Super Saver, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Easy Way, Aldi, Winchester Farmer's Market, one of the local farmer's markets, or any of several dozen small markets, mecados, and international markets, I have absolutely no place to shop for groceries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They took away the one place where it was cool to shop without spending your entire paycheck. What's a hip foodie to do????????
@ Jeff - don't forget Piggly Wiggly (there are still some in the area), Coopers and High Point Grocery.
Oh yeah - there are also Walmart Neighborhood Markets around here too.
Memphis has just as many grocery shopping options as most cities.
This city just hasn't been the same since Giant and Big Star closed.
Jeff: what is it about the concept of dominance in the market you don't understand?
The fact there are competitors in the market doesn't make that market competitive. Please review your notes from Antitrust 101. Oh, you skipped that course? Quelle surprise! Steve Cohen didn't.
P.S. Had you taken the course, you would know that dominance is not determined on an item-by-item basis, which is why your Dutch oven example is utterly irrelevant.
I'm disappointed in the Krogers on Union. Feel like the Kroger people didn't look at what the store actually sold, and stocked what they felt like it would sell. On the plus side, the candy and soda selections have more then doubled! And I don't have to worry about having money if someone helps me out with the groceries. They don't even offer now to take them out now. And I don't have to remember anyone's name either, because I never seem to see the same people twice working there.
LOL reading these comments from jaded posters about the horrible first-world problems they have with Kroger and food...oh the humanity! They need to put things in perspective and GET A LIFE.
Well, my favorite store is Whole Foods, but I can't leave there with anything less than a $100 charge, and that's for a single bag. Aldi is okay, and I haven't been to SuperLo since there's a Stepherson's right around the corner from me that is less than ghetto. I'd like Costco if they sold any foodstuffs in less than 60 lb bags. There aren't any farmers' markets near me. Cooking for one therefore leaves me eating out a lot ...
Go to www.publix.com and submit a comment that you want them in Memphis. We need an alternative badly.
Also submit a request for Trader Joe's.
http://www.traderjoes.com/about/location-r…
At least one person seems to think Memphis will be getting a TJ's pretty soon.
http://www.facebook.com/MemphisTraderJoes
Midtown has the nastiest food stores and restaurant bathrooms in the Memphis metro area. Try driving east for 10 minutes and you will find huge, clean and well-stocked Krogers. I'm single and shop at Costco for most everything and Kroger for anything I can't find or use at Costco. I totally dislike Walmarts and Sam's Club...rarely use Target but compared to midtown stores, they are sanitary clean.
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